Journalism was not Eboni Farmer’s gift. She wasn’t born loving it, and she thought about other options. She initially was told she wasn’t good, but she persevered because of her love for relating to people and telling their stories.

Farmer, a senior at Howard University from New Britain, Conn., said: “My first year, I was a really bad writer, and I didn’t get anything published. I could’ve quit.”

Farmer realized early on that she needed a reason to keep going in journalism. If she was going to survive, she had to work hard to find her place. In college, Farmer worked as online editor, deputy campus editor and deputy sports editor before she found her niche.

“What I like most is telling the story,” she said. “My favorite stories are about people.”

As an editor for the The Hilltop, Famer’s passion for personal stories has led to some cherished anecdotes. A favorite is about community leader Harold Foster, a former convict who used a love for black history to keep other young men from following his path. It was a personal story, and Farmer had to ask sensitive questions. Eventually, Foster told Farmer about his conviction and his family. For Farmer, part of the thrill is about experiencing the stories from the perspective of her subjects.

“It’s hard, but that’s how you get the good story. I guess that’s what I like – getting people to open up to me,” she said. “When I’m writing a person’s story, I feel connected to them.”